General
BENGALURU: A speeding canter involved in two collisions mowed down as many as 9 lives at Mosale Hosahalli of Hassan district on National Highway-373 on Friday evening at around 9 pm. Initially, the canter knocked down a two-wheeler rider identified as Prabhakar (55) who died on the spot before the canter driver drove straight into the group going in a Lord Ganesh immersion procession and ran over several people killing 8 youths. Among the dead included 5 engineering students.
Hassan Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sujeetha told reporters the canter hit a two-wheeler on its left side and crossed to the right side before penetrating through 3-feet height median and ran straight into the procession passing in the opposite lane of the road. The canter claimed people mainly at the end of the procession.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the erring driver identified as Bhuvanesh, a resident of Holenarsipura town in Hassan district. It is alleged canter driver Bhuvanesh was in inebriated condition when the accident occurred and an eyewitness accounts the canter driven by Bhuvanesh collided with an auto rickshaw a couple of minutes before the truck collided with a two-wheeler and later ran over the group going in the procession. The eyewitness added in trying to escape from being caught after collision with an auto rickshaw, the canter driver sped with his truck which later killed 9 people.
Police established the identities of the victims and their names are Praveen Kumar (21), a resident of Ballari, Rajesh (17), a resident of Halekote in Holenarsipura of Hassan, Eshwar (17), a resident of Holenarispura in Hassan, Gokul (17), a resident of Holenarsipur, Kumar (25), a resident of Holenarispur, Praveen (25), a resident of Holenarsipur in Hassan, Mithun (23), belonged to Chitradurga district, Suresh, a resident of Chikkamagaluru and two-wheeler rider Prabhakar a resident of Bantarahalli in Hassan taluk.
Meanwhile, Hassan incharge and Minister of Revenue Krishna Byregowda said the canter driver applied brake before it collided with the two-wheeler which is clear from the tyre marks at the spot of accident and later he seems to have pressed the acceleration before the truck sped to cross the median and ran over the group.
Byregowda said, a blood sample of the driver Bhuvanesh has been drawn by doctors and the sample has been subjected for Forensic Science Lab tests. FSL officials have been asked to furnish the report as soon as possible. The driver Bhuvanesh has been taken into police custody and he has been undergoing treatment at a hospital for his injuries.
Police are investigating complaints by eyewitnesses that there was another person with Bhuvanesh in the canter, said the Minister and stated verification of CCTV footage at various points are underway. As many as 25 injured have been treated at hospitals the condition of an injured is said to be serious.
EX GRATIA ANNOUNCED
Regarding canter mowing down 9 lives in Hassan, Chief Minister announced ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kith and kin of the deceased families and stated the State Government will bear the medical expenses of the injured.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next kin of each deceased and injured will be Rs 50,000. Modi said “I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest.”
In Hassan, residents demanded an increase in the ex gratia amount to the victims. Residents told Hassan incharge and Minister of Revenue Krishna Byregowda that victims in a plane crash get Rs 1 core each as ex gratia and those killed in stampede are given Rs 50 lakh and questioned “Why the discrimination?” They insisted on Rs 50 lakh each for the victims. Bharatiya Janata Party leaders especially MLC Chalavadi Narayansway demanded Rs 50 lakh each as ex gratia to the families of the deceased.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was non-committal on increasing the ex gratia amount to the deceased families.